Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-11-11
A LITTLE HERCULES.

4 LILLE lGllUUlGD.
Away back In the sixties l was
financially interested in two OF three
Texas enterprises with a man nam
ed George Sloane. That was his
right name, but In many localities
in Texas be was only known as
Merry George. have seen great
many statements concerning his adj
ventures in print, but all more or
less exaggerated. Some of the adj
ventures which came about while
We we're in company l will now
give to the press for the first time.
Sloane was an Ohio boy, and |
made his acquaintance and chum'
med with him in Andersonvllle
prison. We went West together
after the war, and at that time he
was only % years old. He was o
feet z inches high, weighed 16O
pounds, and was the strongest man
ever saw outside of professional
wrestler or cannOn-ball tOsser. His
flesh was so hard that he could
crack a walnut on his leg. On two
or three occasions | knew him to
break the bones in mans hand by
a single grip. He took no training
of any sort, but the strength and
ruggedness were born to him. AS
if not satisfied In making him a
young hercules, nature gave him
the most wonderful nerve and cOur-
age. He once told me that he
would give 500 to realize for FIVE
minutes what fear was. | saw him
in some of the hottest places a man
could get into, and | never saw him
falter or hesitate or make mistake
10 dong just the right thing.
One afternoon, after we had fin
ished up some business in Dallas
and were ready to 60, we entered a
saloon. IL was full of gamblers,
cowboys and rough characters gen.
orally, aud every man wore a re-
vol,er in plain sight. We were
slipping our drink when a burly,
big ruffian, who was fighter from
way back, Intentionally fell against
Sloane with considerable force, and
then stood off and leered at him
and said:
"Tm waitn' fur \ G 10 AK my pard'
ing for that, banty."
Sloane never carried weapon OF
any sort while in town. He looked
the fellow over in a cool and qniet
way, and finally asked:
"Dld you intend to insult me,
siri"
"Insult yep echoed the other
"Who talks of insults Why ye
little same-cock from somebody's
barnyard, III give We two minits to
get down on your knees to me.'
If you do not beg my pardon
before | finish this glass" replied
George, IL will make a wreck OF
you."
BY this time every body in the
saloon had crowded around us, and
it was easy to see we had no friends
there. There was something in
Sloane's eve and tone which eau
toned the big fellow, aud if left to
himself be would have retired from
the scrape. But he vas egged on
and braced up by the crowd who
ached to see a row, and he stepped
back a little, drew his revolver, and
growled.
"Now, banty, get down on your
marrow bones, or you'll take dose
Of lead"
Sloane leaned on tue bar with his
elbow and slipped his wine slowly,
pa, ing no further attention to any
one. He was, perhaps, a minute
and half finishing his glass, and
during the last half minute he was
covered by the mans revolver
When he set the glass down he
wiped of his mouth, returned the
handkerchief, and then turned and
advanced upon the ruflian. The
man fired point blank at his head,
cut Of a lock OF hair, and the bullet
killed the bartender. Before he
could fire again George seized him,
one hand on his throat and the 9th
er on his knee, lifted him high in
the air, and held him thus for ten
seconds. Then he gave the body
a fling upon some whiskey barrels
ten fee; away. 1t was an astOnish-
ing feat of strength, and the silence
of death fell upon the roon. When
it was broken it was by man who
had tip toed over to the barrels to
look at the ruflian, and who hoarse-
ly whispered
"Great heavens Tom is as dead
as a fish ~
So he was. The iron fingers had
chOked the life out of him as he
was held alOft, and when he struck
the barrel almost every bone in bis
body was broken. George stood
there for two long minutes, looking
from one to the other, and then
asked:
"Does anybody else want me to
20 down on my knees ~